The GL was conceived as a sister car to the M-Class and R-Class and is made at the company’s flexible assembly US plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, so production of the three can be rebalanced to follow customer demand.

So what’s the difference between this and, say, the Audi Q7? On the face of it, not a lot. They’re both after the same buyers. They’re both five-metre-long off-roaders, weigh two and a half tonnes and can seat seven.